The present invention relates generally to universal remote control devices and, more particularly, to a universal remote control device that includes programming to simulate a skip search in one or both of the forward and reverse directions.
Universal remote control devices are known in the art and include a library of command codes for use in commanding the operation of consumer appliances of different makes, models, and types. Examples of such universal remote control devices can be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,959,810, 5,225,313, 5,228,077, 5,414,761, 5,515,052, 5,537,463, 5,552,917, 5,614,906, 5,689,353, 5,959,751 and 5,953,144, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In select consumer appliances, such as certain video cassette recorders (xe2x80x9cVCRsxe2x80x9d) and certain digital program video recorders (xe2x80x9cPVRsxe2x80x9d), one operation that can be controlled by a remote control is referred to as a xe2x80x9cskip search.xe2x80x9d As described in published PCT patent application WO 00/0885, a consumer appliance responds to a transmitted skip search command by fast forwarding or rewinding a recorded media for a predetermined time duration before resuming the playing of the recorded media. To perform this operation, the consumer appliance must be preprogrammed to: 1) recognize a skip search command transmission; and 2) initiate the fast forwarding or rewinding of the recorded media in response to the receipt of a skip search command transmission.
While consumer appliances having skip searching capabilities are known in the art, a need exists for allowing users to perform skip searches on recorded media which is playable on a consumer appliance that does not itself having the programming necessary for performing a skip search operation. A need also exists for a remote control device capable of commanding the operation of skip searches on consumer appliances of many different types, makes, and models.
In accordance with these needs, the present invention resides in a system and method for using a universal remote control device to simulate a skip search operation on a consumer appliance playing a recorded media. In response to a sensed activation of a skip search button, the universal remote control transmits at least one recorded media shuttle command to the consumer appliance and, after waiting a period of time, transmits a second command which causes the consumer appliance to resume normal speed playback. When the media shuttle command is a fast forward command, the simulated skip search is effective for forwarding past timed portions of the recorded media such as, for example, thirty second commercials. When the media shuttle command is a rewind command, the simulated skip search is effective for replaying timed portions of the recorded media. In this manner, the system and method allows a skip search operation to be performed on a plurality of consumer appliances of different types and makes without regard to whether or not the consumer appliance itself has the programming necessary for performing a skip search operation.
A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment and which are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.